Collection Building Processes within the North Carolina Geospatial Data Archiving Project (NCGDAP)

NCSU Libraries

Steve Morris Head of Digital Library Initiatives

Digital Preservation in State Government: Best Practices Exchange 2006

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 2

Overview

Project context and targeted contentEngaging spatial data infrastructureData exchange methodsRights issues

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 3

NC Geospatial Data Archiving Project

Partnership between university library (NCSU) and state agency (NCCGIA), with Library of Congress under the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP)One of 8 initial NDIIPP partnerships (only state project)Focus on state and local geospatial content in North Carolina (state demonstration)Tied to NC OneMap initiative, which provides for seamless access to data, metadata, and inventoriesObjective: engage existing state/federal geospatial data infrastructures in preservation

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 4

Scale of the Problem

County Digital Orthophotos88 counties with estimated 154 flights by 2006Estimated 30 gb/flight – 4.6 TB total

County, City, COG Vector DataVariable mix of layers; some continuous update92 of 100 counties with GIS systems51 municipalities with GIS systems

State Agency Data1993 and 1998 statewide orthos – 800 gbTerabytes of vector data and other imagery17-20 TB of LIDAR data

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 5

Earlier NCSU Acquisition Efforts

NCSU University Extension project 2000-2001

Target: County/city data in eastern NC“Digital rescue” not “digital preservation”

Project learning outcomesConfirmed concerns about long term accessNeed for efficient inventory/acquisitionWide range in rights/licensingNeed to work within statewide infrastructureAcquired experience; unanticipated collaboration

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 6

What is Spatial Data Infrastructure?

National Spatial Data InfrastructureContent Standards, metadata standardsData discovery methods (Geospatial One-Stop, NSDI Clearinghouse Z39.50 search)Cultivating development of framework data layers

State Spatial Data InfrastructuresState level metadata development, content standards, data sharing, data clearinghousesNC OneMap in North Carolina, from 2003

SDI’s have not been addressing archiving and preservation …

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 7

SDI and Collection Building

Leverage data sharing agreementsData content standards – adherence by agencies makes archiving easierArchive feedback to metadata outreach effortsContent exchange networks (not a well developed part of SDI)Goals

Make data more preservable at point of productionMake preservation a seamless part of the data production process

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 8

Transfer modes - Conventional

CD/DVD230 CD-ROMs for 1999 Wake County orthophotos

External drivesBecoming more routine

FTPBandwidth intensive: restricted to off hours, or not done

WAN (Wide Area Network)Network incompatibilities, network load

Web DownloadComplex interfaces make automation difficult

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 9

Complex download interfaces make automated web capture difficult

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 10

Transfer Modes - Web Services

WMS (Web Map Service)Can only capture derived static images, losing the underlying data intelligencePossible use for agent-based image atlas creation

WFS (Web Feature Service)Transfers actual vector data as GMLNot widely deployed; variation in configurationScalability for bulk transfer questionable

Federal Enterprise Architecture Geospatial Profile suggests WMS, WFS, FTP

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 11

Harnessing Geospatial Web Services

Image atlases from WMS services?Capturing cartographic representation?Recording records from decisions-making processes?Later: data transfer via WFS & GML?, Other?

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 12

SDI Approach to Transfer Problem?

20 different NC state agencies ask for local data, including at least three units from one agencyData also transferred to federal agencies (Census, FEMA, …) for data improvement… and to regional agencies (RPOs, MPOs, COGs) for data aggregation and projectsArchive development should piggyback on existing data transfersGrass roots effort in NC to coordinate acquisition, formalized in working group, starting April 2006

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 13

Intellectual Property Rights Issues

Subject to Public Records LawPublic record: no privacy issues …… but records for some individuals may be filteredDisclaimer viewing important (liability)Restrictions on commercial reuse – desire for downstream control of data

Great deal of variation in access/use policyTrust between agencies is importantBecoming more common to share data but not sign formal agreements

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 14

Obtaining NC Local GIS DataRestrict Access to Data?

29.6%

48.0%

18.4%

3.9%

Yes No Sometimes Not Sure

Restrict Redistribution of Data?

48.7%

35.5%

11.2%

4.6%

Yes No Sometimes Not Sure

Charge for Data?

53.9%

28.9%

15.8%

1.3%

Yes No Sometimes Not Sure

Source: NC OneMap Data Inventory 2004

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 15

Rights issues in the web services space are ambiguous --e.g., 39 NC counties allow GIS-based access to ArcIMS, but extraction rights are not clear

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 16

Conclusion

State and local geospatial data a very large scale problem (data quantity; number of agencies)Need to engage spatial data infrastructure in collection progresses, piggyback on existing processesWeb services processes may play a role in future collection building effortsGreat deal of variation in interpretation of public records law, even in one state

Note: Percentages based on the actual number of respondents to each question 17

Questions?

Contact:

Steve MorrisHead, Digital Library InitiativesNCSU LibrariesSteven_Morris@ncsu.edu

Web site: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/ncgdap/